Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation urging the

Administration to develop a United States--Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program.

The purpose of this exchange program is to demonstrate to the youth of the United States and Poland the benefits of friendly cooperation between the U.S. and Poland based on common political and cultural values. I have long been an active supporter of the Congress-Bundestag Exchange program and am hopeful that this new endeavor will make similarly important lasting contributions to the U.S.-Polish relationship.

As a Rhodes Scholar, I had the opportunity to discover international education at Pembroke College--my first trip outside of the United States. The parameters of my imagination expanded enormously during this time, as I gained a sense of how large the world was, how many talented people there were, and how many opportunities one could embrace. Student exchange programs do more than benefit individual scholars and advance human knowledge. Such programs expand ties between nations, improve international commerce, encourage cooperative solutions to global problems, prevent war, and give participants a chance to develop a sense of global service and responsibility.

Funding a great foreign exchange program is a sign of both national pride and national humility. Implicit in such a program is the view that people from other nations view one's country and educational system as a beacon of knowledge--as a place where international scholars would want to study and live. But it is also an admission that a nation does not have all the answers--that our national understanding of the world is incomplete. It is an admission that we are just a part of a much larger world that has intellectual, scientific, and moral wisdom that we need to learn.

The United States and Poland have enjoyed close bilateral relations since the end of the Cold War. Most recently, Poland has been a strong supporter of efforts led by the United States to combat global terrorism, and has contributed troops to and led coalitions in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Poland also cooperates closely with the United States on such issues as democratization, human rights, regional cooperation in Eastern Europe, and reform of the United Nations. As a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, and the European Union, EU, Poland has demonstrated its commitment to democratic values and is a role model in its region.

I believe that it is important to invest in the youth of the United States and Poland in order to strengthen long-lasting ties between both societies. After receiving for many years international and U.S. financial assistance, Poland is now determined to invest its own resources toward funding a U.S.-Poland exchange program. To this end, the Polish Foreign Minister unambiguously stated that Poland welcomed the opportunity to be an equal partner in funding important efforts.

I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate a distinguished Hoosier, Mrs. Pamela Altmeyer of Indianapolis, IN, who this year celebrates 25 years of leadership at Gleaners Food Bank of Central Indiana.

Mrs. Altmeyer is a 1964 graduate of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and studied at Vincennes University, the University of Indianapolis, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She has 35 years of experience in managing nonprofit organizations and is a valuable contributor as a member of numerous boards of important community associations.

Gleaners Food Bank was formed in 1980 in a garage in Indianapolis and, under the leadership of Mrs. Altmeyer and other dedicated individuals, has grown into the largest nonprofit provider of assistance to needy families in our State. Over the last 12 months, Gleaners has distributed nearly 11 million pounds of food and other critical grocery products to 400 hunger relief charities in 29 central Indiana counties. Since inception Gleaners has distributed over 173 million pounds of product to Hoosiers in their time of need.

I have had the joy of working closely with Mrs. Altmeyer and Gleaners Food Bank in procuring resources for needy Hoosiers. I believe that, both as a Nation and as individuals, we can do more to improve the lives of those in need. I am deeply grateful for Mrs. Altmeyer's important service and leadership as well as for the remarkable work done by her colleagues at Gleaners Food Bank of Central Indiana.

Mr. President, I am pleased to share the news of the birth

of Katherine Riley Lugar on December 28, 2005, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. Katherine was a healthy 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth. Her parents are David Riley Lugar, son of Richard and Charlene Lugar; and his wife, Katherine Graham Lugar, daughter of Lawrence and Jane Graham. Katherine was born at 4:20 p.m. and in the next few hours was joined in the hospital delivery room by Jane Graham, Richard and Charlene Lugar, and David's brother, John Lugar with his wife, Kelly. We shared together a wonderful experience. On the next day, Katherine met her sister, Elizabeth Merrell Lugar, who was born at Sibley Memorial Hospital on May 25, 2004. The two girls and their parents are now safe and healthy in their McLean, VA, residence.

Katherine and David were married on June 3, 2000, in St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin, TX. Katherine, a graduate of the University of Colorado, is Vice President of Federal Government Relations for St. Paul Travelers. David Lugar, who came with us to Washington, along with his three brothers, 29 years ago, graduated from Langley High School in McLean, VA, and Indiana University. He is a partner of Quinn Gillespie & Associates. Both Katherine and David are well known to many of our colleagues and their staff members. We know that you will understand our excitement and our joy that they and we have been given this divine blessing and responsibility for a glorious new chapter in our lives.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate a distinguished Hoosier and friend, Mr. Bill Carson, as he steps down at the end of the year after 42 years of dedicated leadership as chief executive of the Indiana Builders Association.

During those 42 years, Bill has overseen the remarkable transformation of the organization to which he dedicated so much time and energy. In that time, the IBA has grown from 12 locals spread across the State to 33 today. Much of the success Bill has enjoyed can be attributed to his ability to work closely with all parties affected by the building industry. I continue to be grateful for the generous counsel and support he has offered to me throughout my career.

Many Hoosiers also know Bill as an accomplished author, having written a best selling pamphlet entitled ``Diary of a Mad Home Builder'', and a book about the building industry entitled ``High Pitches and Other Tall Tales.''

Bill has been recognized by his many friends across Indiana and the Nation for the remarkable contributions he has made to the building industry. He has been awarded Indiana's highest housing award, the John C. Hart Presidential Award, and is a recipient of the Seldon Hale Award for Excellence in Association Management from the National Association of Home Builders. Bill has been recognized by three different Governors as a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana's highest honor.

From my days as mayor of Indianapolis through today, Bill has been a trusted friend. I look forward to his continued work across Indiana, even as he attempts retirement.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to and recognize the contributions of an individual who has dedicated three decades of his life to serving the U.S. Congress.

Linwood B. Carter II began his career with the Congressional Research Service in 1975 and will be embarking on a well-earned retirement shortly after the New Year. As an information research specialist in U.S. military and international security affairs, Linwood has responded to literally thousands of congressional research requests over the years with a level of professionalism and skill I have seldom encountered. In carrying out our responsibilities as legislators, we in the Senate and our colleagues in the House confront a constant need for accurate and timely information; often it has been through the efforts of Linwood Carter that those responsibilities have been met. His mastery of the Library of Congress's resources and the informational nooks and crannies in the world of international security affairs has been unsurpassed.

Linwood's dedication to serving the needs of Congress is unparalleled. His quiet professional demeanor will be sorely missed by Members, the Congressional Research Service, and by the Library of Congress. I would like to extend our thanks to him for his efforts on our behalf for the last three decades and to wish him the best in the years to come.

Mr. President, I rise today to commend the certification of the Indiana Civil Support Team and the support it will provide the people of Indiana in the event of an attack utilizing a weapon of mass destruction. During this holiday season, many prefer not to think of the horrors associated with nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, but the 22 members of the 53rd WMD-CST don't have that luxury. It is their job to help protect Hoosiers should a WMD attack occur in Indiana.

On November 28, 2005, the Pentagon announced that the Indiana Civil Support Team was fully ready to assist civil authorities in responding to a domestic weapon of mass destruction incident. Stationed in Indianapolis, the team possesses the requisite skills, training and equipment to make a difference in assisting first responders and local officials in the critical moments immediately following a nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological event. The CST is able to deploy rapidly, assist local first responders in determining the nature of the attack, provide medical and technical advice, and pave the way for the identification and arrival of follow-on State and Federal military response assets.

In March 2004, I was pleased to join with Governor Kernan and Senator Bayh to announce the creation of the WMD-CST in Indiana. The team is made up of highly skilled, full-time members of the Indiana National Guard and Reserve who have completed 20 months of intense training. The team is equipped with sophisticated detection, analytical, monitoring, communications and protective equipment and is under the command and control of Governor Mitch Daniels. This signifies another important step to ensuring that our country, the State of Indiana, and our local communities are prepared should we face terrorists armed with a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon.

Last week's announcement occurred with little fanfare and negligible public interest. This is unfortunate because the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is the No. 1 national security threat facing our country.

Chemical weapons were introduced on the battlefields of World War I. Nuclear weapons ended World War II. Biological weapons were components of Cold War arsenals. The 20th century

witnessed the brutal use of these powerful weapons by superpowers and nation-states. Technological advancements and the proliferation of weapons, materials and know-how have made weapons of mass destruction accessible to a growing number of national and non-state entities.

Despite the threat of nuclear annihilation throughout the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was unfathomable that a religious sect could acquire the means to attack a major metropolitan subway system with biological weapons. Yet the Aum Shinrikyo dispersed anthrax in a Tokyo train station in March 1995. Who would have expected rebels from a remote region of the Caucasus to threaten the detonation of a radiological weapon in a Moscow park? Chechens did that in November 1995. Even more difficult to believe would have been the notion that the leader of a deadly terrorist organization would announce that it was the organization's mission to acquire a weapon of mass destruction and use it against the United States. Osama bin Laden did that in December 1998.

The use of a weapon of mass destruction in the United States could cripple our economy, lead to the fall of our Government, and threaten large segments of our population with disease and death. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union had the resources and incentives to carefully guard and maintain these weapons and the scientific knowledge that produced them. But the political collapse of the Moscow government was accompanied by a broader economic collapse throughout the vast nation. Not only did Russia and the other successor states have few resources for maintaining the Soviet-era arsenal, they could not even afford to adequately pay members of the military and scientific community who had responsibility for safeguarding the weapons and related technology. The United States faced the grim possibility that weapons previously held in impenetrable Soviet facilities and technology previously restricted to the minds and computers of elite Soviet scientists could be stolen or sold to the highest bidder.

As a country, we must acknowledge that the weapons that haunted the Cold War are now available to irrational and undeterrable foes. While the threat of nuclear attack from the Soviet Union was awesome, it was certain, in that we knew who and where our enemy was and had the ability to hold them at equal peril. The post-Cold War security environment is anything but certain. Battles are no longer determined by armored divisions taking and holding large swaths of territory, nor is strategic competition marked by the building of the biggest bomb or the longest range missiles. A small group of fanatics with the right contacts and resources can obtain and utilize a weapon of mass destruction that could destroy or make unlivable large portions of Washington, DC, New York, or Chicago. Similarly, toxins introduced into our food supply and distribution systems could spread disease and panic.

There is no silver bullet to these threats. U.S. security will be secured by small numbers of American Government officials and contractors working with former enemies to eliminate the weapons that could threaten the future of our country. It will also depend on American allies working closely and effectively in detecting and interdicting these weapons and local police officers, medical personnel, and guardsmen preparing to respond to a WMD event.

Since the end of the Cold War, I have worked with colleagues here in Congress and the executive branch to defend the American people from these threats. I have often described the best strategy to deal with the WMD threat as ``defense in depth,'' layers of defensive efforts designed to stop a nuclear, chemical and biological weapon from reaching our shores.

The first line of defense is prevention and entails activities at the source to stop weapons, materials and know-how from leaving their current locations. The second is detection and interdiction and involves efforts to stem the flow of illicit trade in these weapons and materials at foreign and domestic borders. The third line of defense is crisis and consequence management and requires domestic preparedness should such threats turn into hostile acts. Individually, each of these lines of defense is insufficient; together, they help to form the policy fabric of an integrated defense-in-depth.

In 1991, I joined with Senator Sam Nunn and co-authored the Nunn- Lugar, Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. The program's goal is to address the threat posed by nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons at their source. Over the program's first decade and a half it has focused on the threats emanating from the former Soviet Union. When the USSR crumbled, it had the largest nuclear, chemical, and biological arsenals in the world. The next day, four new independent countries emerged from the ashes with nuclear weapons. The totalitarian command and control system that secured the chemical and biological weapons arsenals and infrastructure disappeared. Divisions of ballistic missiles, wings of long-range bombers, and fleets of strategic missile submarines were left with a bankrupt, dysfunctional master and numerous individuals and organizations seeking to steal them.

The Nunn-Lugar Program has made excellent progress in eliminating these threats. Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan emerged as the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear powers in the world. Today all three are nuclear weapons free. More than 6,760 nuclear warheads, each capable of destroying an American city, have been deactivated. Nearly 2,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles fired from land-based silos, missile submarines, and bombers have been eliminated. Two-thirds of the Soviet Union's strategic bomber force and over half of its strategic submarine force have been destroyed.

The Soviet Union also left behind enormous quantities of chemical and biological weapons materials. Russia declared a chemical weapons stockpile of 40,000 metric tons stored under questionable. A public accounting of the Soviet biological weapons programs has never been made, but it is believed to be the largest and most advanced in the world. Tens of thousands of scientists, engineers, and technicians had assisted in the development of the Soviet Union's weapons of mass destruction. With the economies of Russia and other republics in bad shape, many of these experts faced unemployment, and concerns existed that they might have an incentive to sell their skills to other countries and terrorist organizations. In each of these cases, Nunn- Lugar has responded with innovative dismantlement strategy for the chemical weapons stocks, elimination of biological weapons production capacity and security upgrades for pathogen collections, and partnering with the private sector to find long-term, peaceful employment for former weapons experts.

Nunn-Lugar has also taken on formerly top-secret missions to remove dangerous weapons and materials before they could fall into the wrong hands. In November 1994, the United States launched Project Sapphire to remove 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from Kazakhstan and ship it to Oak Ridge, TN. More recently, Operation Auburn Endeavor was carried out in Georgia to remove HEU and transport it to Scotland. In Moldova, the United States removed fourteen MIG-29s capable of launching nuclear weapons because of efforts by a number of rogue states to acquire them.

Despite the progress we made in the former Soviet Union, the skills and capabilities of the Nunn-Lugar Program were confined to that geographical region. In 2004, Congress changed that by approving the Nunn-Lugar Expansion Act which authorized the use of up to $50 million in Nunn-Lugar funds for activities outside the former Soviet Union. This authority will be used for the first time in Albania to destroy nearly 16 tons of chemical weapons and consideration is being given for the program to work in Libya and countries in Southeast Asia.

Earlier this year, I joined with Senator Barack Obama to introduce legislation focused on improving the capabilities of other nations to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction and bolstering, expanding, and improving the second line of defense. The United States military and intelligence services cannot be everywhere. We need the cooperation and vigilance of like-minded nations if we are to successfully detect and interdict WMD threats before they can be used against their targets. The United

States has constructed the Proliferation Security Initiative, which enlisted the participation of other nations in the interdiction of WMD, but it lacks a coordinated effort to improve the capabilities of our foreign partners so that they can play a larger and more effective role.

The Lugar-Obama bill earmarks 25 percent of the Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs account to address the shortcomings in the State Department's response. If currently law, this would have amounted to $110 million this year. Our bill goes one step further by calling on the State Department to also commit 25 percent of annual foreign military financing amounts to nations for the purchase of equipment to improve their ability to detect and interdict WMD. This would represent a potent but flexible tool that could help build a network of WMD detection and interdiction capabilities world wide and contribute to U.S. national security.

Senator Obama and I recently wrote in the Washington Post that the United States cannot stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction alone. We need the vigilance of like-minded nations, but many of our potential partners lack the capability to detect hidden weapons and interdict shipments. We believe our legislation will address this gap.

If weapons or materials of mass destruction elude U.S. programmatic efforts at the source, at international borders, and our own borders, the next line of defense must take the form of help to local ``first responders''--the firemen, police, emergency management teams, and medical personnel who will be on the front lines.

In 1996, I joined my colleagues Sam Nunn and Pete Domenici in offering the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici ``Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction'' legislation. For the first time, it directed the professionals from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Environmental Protection Agency to join into a partnership with local emergency professionals in cities across the country, including Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.

The Pentagon developed plans to supply training and equipment to 120 cities across the country. In February 1998, the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Domestic Preparedness Program visited Indianapolis and Marion County. Six hundred fifty first responders received training to respond to nuclear, chemical and biological incidents. In the years that followed, thousands of additional professionals received instruction through the program's train-the-trainer program. In 2000, Fort Wayne and Allen County received similar training under the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Program.

The training proved its worth when Indianapolis was confronted with the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Planned Parenthood clinics in Indianapolis and New Albany and at St. Matthews Catholic Church and elsewhere received anthrax threats. We were relieved that the threats were determined to be false but proud to see the professional manner in which the city's first responders reacted to the threat and treated the potential victims.

Over the last 15 years, I have worked closely with both Bush administrations and President Clinton to safeguard the American people from the threats associated with weapons of mass destruction. We still have much work to do, but the certification of the Indiana WMD-CST makes the people of Indiana safer. I am thankful that in the event of a WMD incident, the people of Indiana will not be alone. Local first responders and the WMD-CST will be there to provide assistance and expertise.

Mr. President, today is ``action day'' to support jailed journalists around the world, as declared by the independent organization, Reporters Without Borders. I rise today to express my support for this cause and to emphasize that our country has long believed that a free press is a cornerstone of democracy, both here and abroad. Last year, at my urging, Congress created a free press institute at the National Endowment for Democracy to promote, as part of our democracy-building efforts, free, independent and sustainable news media organizations overseas. This year, I introduced the Free Flow of Information Act to allow journalists in this country to protect the identity of their confidential sources. After I introduced the legislation, a reporter for one of America's most respected media organizations, Judith Miller of the New York Times, was jailed for 85 days for failing to disclose a confidential source, while another, Matt Cooper of Time magazine, was also threatened with jail for the same reason. I believe that in order for the United States to foster the spread of freedom and democracy globally, we must support an open and free press at home.

According to Reporters Without Borders, 112 journalists are currently jailed in 23 countries, including places like China, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma. This is not good company for the United States to keep. I urge the administration and our diplomats overseas to do everything they can to gain the release of these jailed journalists, who were doing nothing more than trying to keep their fellow citizens informed. I ask unanimous consent that the following information from Reporters Without Borders be printed in the Record.

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of Paula Yeager, a distinguished Hoosier and executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation, who passed away yesterday following a 7- year battle with cancer. Over the years, I have valued Paula counsel and advocacy on behalf of conservation in Indiana.

After studying business at the University of Nebraska, Paula began a career as a travel agent. Eventually, this career brought her into close contact with John Denver, a singer who shared Paula's respect for the importance of nature and dedication to wildlife conservation. The two became close friends and their friendship inspired Paula to use her remarkable talents to make a difference in conservation.

This dedication led Paula to pursue an opportunity as executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation. In that role, she reinvigorated the organization as she worked with like-minded groups to advance initiatives and become effectively engaged in the political process at both the State and Federal level.

Paula's efforts have been recognized across Indiana. She has twice been recognized with the President Award from the Indiana Wildlife Federation and was named Conservationist of the Year in 2001 by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

While I know that this is a difficult time for Paula's family and many friends, my thoughts are with her husband John and their two children Stephanie and Corey as they remember her life of leadership.

Mr. President, I rise today to share my views on the amendment offered by Senator Ensign regarding the use of riot control agents, RCAs, by members of our Armed Forces in war. As one of the principal proponents of Senate ratification of the CWC, along with my ranking member, Senator Biden, I feel it important to provide my views in relation to this amendment.

I will vote in favor this amendment, and I do so because I believe that it in no way modifies, changes, reinterprets, or otherwise revises the laws of the United States regarding the use of RCAs in war to save lives, nor in any way affects U.S. compliance with our international obligations. This amendment creates no new law, and changes no U.S. policy.

When the Senate approved a resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Convention on the Prohibition of Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction--The Chemical Weapons Convention or CWC in 1997, it made the conditional on maintaining U.S. law in effect at that time. Condition 26(B) of that resolution of ratification stated:

The President shall take no measure, and prescribe no rule

or regulation, which would alter or eliminate Executive Order

11850 of April 8, 1975.

Senator Ensign's amendment mentions both this Executive order and the Senate-approved condition.

Senator Ensign's amendment cannot modify that condition, and because it merely restates authority the President already has regarding the use of RCAs in war, I believe that voting for the amendment will not harm U.S. leadership in preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons nor will it reverse the will of the Senate at the time it approved the CWC. I look forward to working with Chairman Warner, Senator Levin, and the administration as this provision is considered in conference with the House, and in efforts to improve it in that conference.

Mr. President, I rise to thank Senator Inhofe for the excellent work he has done on this amendment and his generous efforts to accommodate my previous concerns. In my view, his original amendment may have had some unintended foreign policy consequences. In particular, it might have produced some far-reaching changes to the way that our country makes foreign assistance decisions.

The amendment as now written leaves the authority for deciding which countries, and when, how, and why foreign assistance should be provided, in the hands of the Secretary of State. The amendment does not provide statutory authority to the Secretary of Defense to establish a new foreign aid program outside the purview of the Secretary of State. It does authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide funding to the State Department for a new train and equip foreign assistance program, as well as to address overseas emergencies where the two Departments need to join forces to meet the crisis successfully.

I support the $750 million train and equip program and the $200 million emergency funding. Both programs can be successfully carried out under the Secretary of State's existing authorities. The Secretary of State should retain full authority over decisions as to which countries should receive assistance, the timing of its provision, and the way in which it should be provided. The Department of Defense should continue implementing train and equip programs under the purview of the Secretary of State.

I understand that there have been frustrations with the current situation. The Defense Department has apparently found State Department oversight of these kinds of programs cumbersome and slow. These obstacles need to be overcome. State Department procedures should be streamlined and the two Departments should develop plans to push these important programs forward efficiently and quickly.

But all foreign assistance programs need to take place within a foreign policy context, with consideration of the traditional concerns--the recipient country's treatment of its own people, potential reactions from neighboring states in the region, and the overall bilateral relationship with the recipient country, including its assistance in the war against terrorism.

It is the Secretary of State's job to weigh such foreign policy issues and make recommendations to the President that strike the right balance for American interests. The amendment as now written meets the concerns I had and I would request that I be listed as a co-sponsor.

Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to recognize the important leadership of the Hulman-George family throughout their 60 years of stewardship of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I am honored to have this opportunity to congratulate them on reaching this signal milestone on November 14, 2005.

The Hulman-George family members have been remarkable champions of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana through their hosting of what many consider to be the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500. In recent years, they have also hosted the Brickyard 400 and the United States Grand Prix, remarkable events that bring people from around the world to Indianapolis to experience true Hoosier hospitality.

I have especially enjoyed a close relationship with the Hulman-George family, which began when I was Mayor of Indianapolis. My wife, Char, and I would take our four boys to the track for activities throughout the month of May.

On May 16, 1981, I first had the opportunity to participate in another great tradition at the Speedway when we gathered to celebrate the annual Armed Forces Induction Ceremony. This event came about because recruitment was low and members of our community were looking for a creative way to celebrate the decision of Hoosier men and women to serve our country in the Armed Forces. To address this dilemma, the Hulman-George family offered the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a backdrop for an enlistment ceremony. Anyone who enlisted during the month of May would be a part of the Tony Hulman Squadron and would fly away from the infield to basic training. While the ceremony has evolved over the ensuing years, it remains special to me because it offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate the patriotism of so many talented and dedicated young Hoosiers.

As race fans gather in Indianapolis to cheer their favorite drivers on to victory, I am hopeful that they will take a moment to reflect upon the years of dedicated leadership that the Hulman-George family has provided in the Indianapolis community, leadership that has helped to make Indianapolis the motorsports capitol of world.

Like so many of my fellow Hoosiers, I am grateful that the Hulman- George family continues to call Indiana its home.

Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge an important milestone in my home State. I am pleased to join with the more than 1150 families who are members of Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation as they commemorate their year long sesquicentennial celebration.

On November 2, 1856, fourteen Jewish men in Indianapolis signed the constitution and by-laws to create Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, the first Jewish congregation in the growing city of Indianapolis. IHC, the largest congregation in Indiana, has played an important role as the spiritual home of the Jewish community in Central Indiana.

I strongly believe that a religious community cannot thrive without the active participation of its members. Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation's long and distinguished history of significance in the Indianapolis community is the result of members' hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm for their congregation. This celebration provides a special opportunity to recognize the many members who have put forth their time and energy to serve the congregation throughout the last 150 years.

I would like to extend to Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation my own personal mazel tov on celebrating this simcha. I am hopeful they will continue to celebrate many more years of fellowship and service in the Indianapolis community.

Mr. President, Char and I want to share with all of our colleagues and friends the joyous news of the birth of Griffin Mack Lugar on October 26, 2005, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. Griffin was a healthy 8 pounds at birth. His parents are our son, John Hoereth Lugar, and his wife, Kelly Smith Lugar, daughter of Robert Lee Smith and Renee Routon Smith. Griffin was born at 8:13 p.m. and within the next hour, John's brother, David Lugar, joined Char and me in the hospital room to see a very healthy newborn baby and to congratulate John and Kelly and to share their joy during unforgettable moments. On the next day, Griffin met his brother, Preston Charles Lugar, who was born at Sibley Memorial Hospital on February 20, 2004. The two boys and their parents are now safe and healthy in their Arlington, VA residence.

Kelly and John were married on November 5, 2001, in the Washington Cathedral with Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie, former Chaplain of the Senate, presiding. They and their families and guests had enjoyed a rehearsal dinner in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol on the night before the wedding. Kelly worked with many of our colleagues during her service to the administration of President George Bush and our former colleague, Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, as Deputy Assistant Secretary with responsibilities for congressional relations. She now has a private consulting business. A graduate of the University of Texas, she was once a member of the staff of Congressman Ralph Hall of Texas. John Lugar came with us to Washington, along with his three brothers, 28 years ago. He graduated from Langley High School in McLean, VA; Indiana University, and received his masters of business administration degree from Arizona State University. He is currently a vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate services and investment management firm.

We know that you will understand our excitement and our gratitude that they and we have been given divine blessing and responsibility for a glorious new chapter in our lives.

Mr. President, today I rise on behalf of myself and Senator Obama to introduce the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2005.

This legislation aims to support the priority the Administration has placed on the detection and interdiction of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials, as well as dual-use items of proliferation concern. The legislation also contains important conventional weapons threat reduction measures that have previously been approved by the Foreign Relations Committee.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the remarks Senator Obama and I made this morning at the Council on Foreign Relations regarding this legislation be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I rise on behalf of myself and Senator Obama to introduce the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2005.

This legislation aims to support the priority the Administration has placed on the detection and interdiction of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials, as well as dual-use items of proliferation concern. The legislation also contains important conventional weapons threat reduction measures that have previously been approved by the Foreign Relations Committee.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the remarks Senator Obama and I made this morning at the Council on Foreign Relations regarding this legislation be printed in the Record.